1. Technical Field
The present application relates to a conveying arrangement for conveying packages or groups of beverage bottles or containers, and a method of operation thereof. The present application further relates to a device, or conveyer arrangement for bringing together of a plurality of containers tied together, or bundles or groups of containers, such as mini containers, or the like receptacles, in accordance with at least two conveying paths that feed the plurality of containers, or bundles or groups of containers to be brought together to the device and a conveying path for transporting the plurality of containers, or bundles or groups of containers from the device, and the device being provided with poles or rods that are operated by a chain arrangement, with the chains being disposed at the outer sides and continuously circulating, and with on and/or between the poles or rods arranged, adjustable carrier plates, and between the upper portion of the chain arrangement and the lower portion of the chain arrangement of the circulating chain conveyor and pole conveyer, there are arranged guide rails, or the like guide structures that are configured for carrying out a transverse movement of the individual carrier plates.
In other words, and in accordance with at least one possible embodiment of the present application, the conveyor arrangement of the present application comprises poles or rods which poles or rods may be controlled by a chain arrangement. The chain arrangement has chains that are located on the outer ends of the poles or rods or on the sides of the conveyor system. The chains can be circulated to move the poles or rods. The conveyor arrangement comprises adjustable carrier plates which are disposed between these poles or rods. The conveyor arrangement also has guide rails. The guide rails are located between an upper portion and a lower portion of the chain arrangement of both the circulating chain conveyor and pole or rod conveyors.
2. Background Information
Background information is for informational purposes only and does not necessarily admit that subsequently mentioned information and publications are prior art.
It is known to gather together units comprising a plurality of containers, or bundles or groups of containers which arrive on different feeder conveyers and to assemble them into a coherent transport unit, with the assembly being done in gathering arrangements, or combining arrangements. Such arrangements, also referred to as combiners, often are comprised of a large number of chain-mounted transport members, for example, rods, slats, or the like structures, with the chains being disposed laterally of the conveyer at the respective ends of the transport members, which chains and the associated transport members are circulating endlessly or continuously; and on which transport members, or, respectively, between the transport members there are adjustable carrier plates. Furthermore, when for example, two feeder conveyers are employed to supply the objects to the combining device, to one of the feeder conveyers there is assigned usually a certain number of carrier plates of the combining device, or conveyer system, and with a gap thereto, on the other side there is assigned a suitable number of carrier plates for the transport containers, whereby the carrier plates are configured to be disposed so as to be laterally shifted, such that at the outlet terminus of the device, when the bundles or groups of containers are transferred to a single conveying path, and the carrier plates are configured to form a closed group, or assembly of carrier plates, which assembly is again separated in the lower portion of the conveyer into predetermined subdivisions of carrier plates.
A special disadvantage of the known devices resides therein that due to lateral shifting of the carrier plates, an item, such as containers comprising, for example, small receptacles, or a package unit, such as a carton or the like container, which item or package unit is positioned on and straddling several plates, will be subject to turning to such an extent that the turned item will be presented skewed at an angle at the exit terminus of the device, which angle or position is contrary to the angle or position established at the entrance terminus of the device. This detriment needs to be addressed by additional arrangements that are configured and disposed to perform a rotating or swinging movement so as to bring the improperly positioned item into the position which may be necessary and/or desired for further conveying, or to bring them into the desired other transport position or orientation.
Another disadvantage of the known solutions may be in the fact that the carrier, or transport plates assigned in sections to a conveying path may offer or provide a total surface area in each case which corresponds to the greatest possible base area or extent of the products to be transported. If, for instance, many smaller bundles or groups of containers of containers, are brought together, large unused support surfaces are operationally moved, so that the conveyor capacity that is usually in conformity with the largest possible object may often be chosen so as to be too slow.